Protective grating



A. M, W42. F. v. MAIQT'IN PROTECTIVE GRATING Filed Nov. 13, 1940Patented Aug. 11, 1942 NE'E'E 17 Claims.

This invention relates to protective cr deterrent gratings for windows,doors, lights and other vulnerable areas in the walls, roofs, floors,etc., of banks, warehouses, stores, dwellings, jails, barracks,hospitals, and other institutions, liable to attack for illegal entry ofor secretive escape from the interiors guarded by the gratings.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel type ofrestraining bar for use in such gratings, wherein each or any desirednumber of the bars constituting the grating is of hollow or recessedconstruction and confines a bomb and detonator therefor adapted to befired by bodily removing the bar from the grating, bending or sawing thebar or otherwise tampering with the bar.

While the bomb may be of any desired character to give audible orvisible warning of an attempt at forcible entry or escape, as by louddetonation or flare, it preferably is of the gas type to emit, throughsuitable orifices exterior of the bar and communicating with the bombchamber in the bar, a disabling or irritating gas such as the so-calledtear gas employed by police for subduing or routing criminals ordispersing undesirable assemblages.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is an exterior view of a wall opening protected by a gratingembodying restraining bars made and operable in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention;

Fig. 2. is a longitudinal sectional View of one of the bars of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line Q4, Fig. 2;

Fig.5 is a longitudinal sectional view of one modified form of barwithin the scope of the invention;

Fig. 6 illustrates another modification of the invention;

Fig. 7 illustrates a modification of a detail of the invention; and

Fig. 8 illustrates a special mounting for one of the restraining bars.

As shown in Fig. l, a masonry, steel, or other wall, which is normallyresistant to penetration by the forms of attack employed by the ordinaryburglar or others attempting forcible entry, is shown at I. The wall Iis provided with an opening 2 fitted with a steel or wood frame 3 forwindow-sash 4 and 5, or a door, shutter, etc.

The opening 2 is further fitted with a grating I0 embodying a pluralityof parallel restraining bars II, II made, installed, and operable inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 2, each restraining bar II is composed of two sectionsIla and III) which, in

this figure, are shown as telescoping one within the other as at I2, andprovided with cooperating male and female threads whereby the twosections are removably secured together to form the single rigid barstructure I I.

The opposite ends respectively of each bar structure Ii are secured inany suitable manner to or in the upper and lower rails 3a and 3b of theframe 3, or directly in the adjacent upper and lower Walls 2a, 2b of theopening 2 in the closure Wall I.

As shown in Fig. 2, the lower end I3 of the lower bar section Ilaisslidably mounted in a socket I i which, in turn, is secured by screws I5to the sill 3b of the frame 3.

The upper end I6 of the upper section Nb of each bar structure I I isslidably or freely mounted in a socket II secured to the top rail 3a ofthe frame 3 by screws I8.

The ends I 3 and I5 of the lower and upper sections Ila, III) areexternally threaded to show above and below the sockets I and I!respectively, merely for deceptive purposes to mislead those planning totamper with the bars.

In metal window-frames, the top rail 3a, bottom rail 3b, and side rails30, 3c are normally welded together and constitute a rigid marginalframe for the grating of which the restraining bars I I constitute theintermediate part. Where wooden window-frames are employed, the gratingmay include a rigid marginal metal frame comprising atop rail 3a, bottomrail 31) and side rails 30, 30 separate and distinct from thewindow-frame and securely anchored in the wall opening 2 inside oroutside the window-frame 3, as desired. In the case of door openings thegrating formed with the rigid marginal frame members 3a, 3b and 3c andbars II, II would be hinged and provided with suitable locking dev1ces.

In that form of the invention shown in Fig. 2, the upper edge IQ of thelower section IIa of each bar structure II provides an annular shouldersupport for a bomb-carrier 26. In the present instance, the bomb-carrier2%] is in the form of an annular split ring having inturned ends 2!, 2|(Fig. 3) which are pressed into the sides of a bomb unit 22, adjacentthe lower end thereof, leaving a gap between said ends which forms alongitudinal gas passage 23. The top edge of the holder is beveled toprovide a circumferential gas channel 24 which communicates with thepassage 23.

The bomb unit 22 is confined within an inner sleeve 25 having its lowerend resting on the upper beveled end of the split ring 23. The sleeve 25has a more or less free, loose fit in the tube section llb, in orderthat any attempt to saw through the bar will result in the saw teethengaging the outer surface of the sleeve 25, after one side of the outershell llb has been sawed through, causing the sleeve 25 to revolvewithin the shell ll b and resist penetration by the saw teeth, at thesame time preventing the saw teeth from penetrating the outer tube orshell I lb further.

The sleeve 25 is provided with a series of longitudinal indentations 26which bear against the bomb 22 (Fig. 4) and provide gas channels 21, 21,between the sleeve 25 and the outer tube llb, and channels 23, 23,between the bomb 22 and sleeve 25. The lower ends of the channels 21, 28communicate with the circumferential channel 24 and the upper ends ofthese channels 21, 28 communicate with the interior of the tube sectionlib, above the bomb 22.

The upper end of the rotatable sleeve 25 abuts the lower end of a secondrotatable inner sleeve 29, which, under the above-noted circumstances,will roll or revolve under attack by a saw. Secured in the lower end ofthe upper inner sleeve 29 is a cartridge support 30. The support 30 isin the form of an inverted cup with its annular side wall 3| in contactwith the inner surface of the upper rotary sleeve 29 and secured theretoin any suitable manner. In the present instance, the annular wall 3| ofthe cup 30 is provided with openings 32 into which small protuberances33 of the metal of the sleeve 30 are pressed.

The head 34 of the cartridge-carrier 30 is bored at 35 for reception ofthe body portion 36 of a blank cartridge 31, the rim 38 of which restson the upper surface of the carrier head 34. The lower or wad-end ofcartridge 31 lies directly above the upper end of the bomb unit 22, inorder that the flash from the powder in the cartridge 31, when exploded,will ignite the upper end of the bomb 22.

The cartridge 31 is fired by a spring-loaded firing pin 49, the shank Mof which is slidably mounted, for axial movement, in a central bore 42of a bearing plug 43. This plug may be secured in the upper end of theupper section llb of the bar H, as, for example, by plug 43 having adriving fit in the tube Ill).

The firing pin is provided with an adjustable collar or nut 44 betweenwhich and the under side of the plug 43 is confined a firing spring 45.The spring 45 encircles the shank 4| of the firing pin 40.

Adjacent its upper end, the shank 4| is circumferentially grooved, at46, for reception of a rounded semispherical inner end of a trigger pin41. This pin 41 is slidably mounted in a transverse bore 48 in the plug43 and in an axial extension thereof formed in the tube section I lb.

The trigger pin 41 is of such length that, when the inner rounded endthereof is seated in the root of the annular concave groove 45, theouter end is flush with the outer surface of the upper tubular sectionNb of the bar II and rests against the inner surface 49 of the plainbore of the socket l1, thus the firing pin 40 is normally held in acocked position.

The lower end of the socket I1 is counterbored at 5!] to provide anannular recess therein and the upper end of the socket is likewisecounterbored or beveled to provide an annular recess 5| in the socketl1. Under any circumstances, by which relative axial movement iseffected between the upper section llb of .the bar H and the socket l1,to the extent wherein the outer end of the trigger pin 41 is free tomove into either of the annular recesses 50 or 5i of the socket l1, thepressure exerted by the spring 45 to move firing pin 4!! axially willcause the concave groove 46, acting against the round inner end of thetrigger pin 41, to force the trigger outwardly, thereby releasing thefiring pin 45.

The spring 45 drives the firing pin 40 down into contact with thedetonator cap of the cartridge 31, thereby firing the cartridge 31 andcausing the flash of the exploded powder to ignite the upper end of thebomb unit 22. The bomb unit 22, as previously noted, is of thegasgenerating or exuding type which are readily obtainable on the marketby qualified users. The burning bomb 22 generates high gas pressure inthe tubular bar below the inverted cup 30. This gas passes down throughthe gas channels 21, 28, 24 and 23, under the bottom of the bomb 22 intothe lower section lla of the bar H and exhausts through apertures 52, 52therein, into the atmosphere in and around the space in which the bar IIis located.

Ordinarily, the generation of gas by the burning bomb 22 is so rapidthat it will take effect upon the person tampering with the bar beforecomplete removal of the bar can be accomplished. The gas, being of theirritant type, i. e., inducive of rapid and excessive secretion by thelachrymal glands, temporarily blinds or disables the tamperer, while thereport of the exploding cartridge provides an audible alarm. Thus, whilethe bars ll, ll may not form an absolutely impregnable barrier, theywill serve individually and collectively as a deterrent to any oneattempting to remove the obstacle presented by the bars, while thesounding of the alarm and the disabling of the tamperer may result incapture at or near the scene.

To one familiar with the interior construction and operation of themechanism contained in the bar I I, such as an authorized service man,the bars I I may be removed, to replace the bombs 22 and cartridges 31periodically with fresh ones, by first securing the socket l1 to theupper end of the tube section I lb as by a suitable split clampengageable with each to prevent relative axial movement therebetween;then removing the fastenings l8 and I5 of the sockets l1 and I4respectively, after which the bar ll may be removed bodily from theopening 2.

After removal of the bar H, the section Ila may be unscrewed from thesection llb at l2. The bomb 22 and its carrier 20, the sleeve 25 and thesleeve 29, with the cartridge support 35 therein, may then be removedfrom the section llb. Reassembly may be readily effected by reversingthis order.

If desired, the restraining bars may be made in one piece, as shown inFig. 5 at H0, and with the interior elements, 1. e., the unit 2B-22 andthe sleeves 25 and 29 supported by a perforated, readily rotatable tube53 provided with spacer rings 54, 54 to keep the tube 53 spaced from thetube Hc to permit the gas to flow from the interior of the tube 53through its perforations 55 and out of the perforations 45a in the outertube llc.

In that form of the invention shown in Fig. 6, the upper end of thelower tube section H d and the lower end of the upper tube section 1 leare confined in a telescoping outer short tube section I211. The bomb 22and detonator cartridge 31 are replaced by a cartridge 22a whichcontains the tear gas generating substance and also a detonator cap 31a.

The rim 38a of the gas cartridge 22a rests on the upper edge lea of thelower tube section lld, within the telescoping coupling sleeve lid, andthe lower edge of the upper tube section He is disposed above the rim38a. The sleeve l2a is preferably secured rigidly to the lower tubesection lid although it may be secured to the upper tube section or bothwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

The upper section He contains the firing pin and trigger mechanism andthe lower section is provided with the gas outlets, the same as in thestructure of Fig. 2. If desired, these sections may also contain therotary inner sleeves like the sleeves 29, 25 and 53 of Fig. 5.

During assembly, the firing pin is moved to cocked position in the plug43a. The screw 56 is then used as a set screw to hold the firing pin Main place. The plug 43a is then placed in the tube H7. The trigger Ala isthen inserted with its inner end in the groove 46a of the firing pin andits outer end flush with the outside of the tube H in which position itis then retained by any suitable form of temporary clamp or split sleeveplaced around the tube. The screw 56 is then backed out until its outerend is flush with the outside of the tube II at which time its inner endis clear of the firing pin 41a. The tube is then slipped into the socketIla until the trigger pin 4M is engaged by the bearing surface 49a ofsaid socket, the temporary clamp or sleeve at the same time being moveddown on the tube Hf and from which it is then removed leaving thetrigger pin ila under control of the bearing surface 49a of the socketIla.

In the case of skylights and the like, the trigger and bomb containingend of the bar llg (Fig. 8) would fit in a socket Ilb provided with apivot lug or lugs 56 which would cooperate with a pivot lug or lugs 51on a bracket 58, through a rivet 59 which functions as the pivot betweenthe two, so that the bar llg can swing from a normal horizontal positionto a vertical position, under its own weight, and slip out of the socketIlb to release the trigger if and when the bar is sawed throughintermediate its ends, or if the opposite end of the bar is forced outof its socket, which latter may be of either the rigid type or thepivoted type, as desired.

In order to force the upper end I6 of the upper section I lb of the barI I out of the socket [1, in event of a lower part of the bar beingremoved by sawing, for example, and thereby assure release of thetrigger 4'1, a spring 60 (Fig. 2) is inserted between the upper end ofthe plug 43 and the under side of the window frame, etc., to which thesocket I7 is secured, whereby any part of the bar left hanging in thesocket will be forced out of the socket and permit the trigger 41 tomove outwardly and release the firing pin 4! to effect discharge of thedetonator 33 and consequent ignition of the bomb 22.

.I claim:

1. A hollow protective grating bar containing a detonator and means fordischarging said detonator, and means external of said bar forsupporting said bar and retaining said discharging means normallyinactive.

2. A hollow protective grating bar containing a gas generating unit andmeans for starting generation of gas thereby, and means external of saidbar for supporting said bar and retaining said starting means normallyinactive.

3. A hollow protective grating bar containing a gas generating unit, adetonator for starting generation of gas by said unit and means fordischarging said detonator, and means external of said bar forsupporting said bar and retaining said discharging means inactive.

4. A hollow protective grating bar containing a gas generating unit, adetonator for starting generation of gas by said unit and a springloadedtrigger for discharging said detonator, and means external of said barfor supporting said bar and retaining said trigger normally in a cookedposition.

5. A hollow protective grating bar enclosing a detonator and aspring-loaded firing pin therefor, a retaining socket embracing one endof the bar, and a trigger carried by the bar and normally engaged by thesocket for holding the firing pin in a cooked position.

6. A hollow perforated protective grating bar enclosing a gas generatingbomb with a detonator and a spring-loaded firing pin therefor, aretaining socket embracing one end of the bar, and a trigger carried bythe bar and normally engaged by the socket for holding the firing pin ina cocked position,

7. A hollow protective grating bar enclosing a detonator and aspring-loaded firing pin therefor, a retaining socket embracing one endof the bar, a trigger carried by the bar and normally engaged by thesocket for holding the firing pin in a cocked position, and an innersleeve rotatable within the hollow bar around the detonator to affordprotection for the detonator against transverse sawing of the bar.

8. A hollow perforated protective grating bar enclosing a gas generatingbomb with a detonator and a spring-loaded firing pin therefor, aretaining socket embracing one end of the bar, a trigger carried by thebar and normally engaged by the socket for holding the firing pin in acocked position, and an inner sleeve rotatable within the hollow bararound said bomb to afford protection for the bomb against transversesawing of the bar.

9. A hollow perforated protective grating bar enclosing a gas generatingbomb with a detonator and a spring-loaded firing pin therefor, aretaining socket embracing one end of the bar, a trigger carried by thebar and normally engaged by the socket for holding the firing pin in acooked position, an inner sleeve rotatable within the hollow bar aroundsaid bomb and the detonator to resist transverse sawing of the bar, and.a support for the detonator secured in the inner sleeve adjacent one endof the bomb.

10. A hollow protective grating bar enclosing a detonator and aspring-loaded firing pin axially aligned with the bar and the detonator,a plug rigidly mounted in the bar as an integral part thereof andaffording an axial sliding bearing for the firing pin, a trigger pinslidably mounted in the plug for axial movement transversely thereof, acircumferential groove in the and embracing the bar adjacent one endthere of, a detonator and means for firing said detonator enclosed inthe bar, said firing means including a radially projectable elementcarried by the bar and normally retained substantially flush with theexterior surface of the bar by said annular bearing surface of thesocket, said enclosed in the bar, said means including a ratdiallyprojectable element normally retained substantially flush with theexterior surface of the bar by the socket, said element being releasablefrom said'socket to fire said detonator 1 by axial relative movementbetween the bar and element'being releasable from said bearing surfaceto fire said detonator by axial relative movement between the bar andthe socket.

12. A hollow protective grating bar, containing a detonator and meansfor firing the detonator including an element having a portionprojectable radially beyond the exterior surface of the bar, a socketembracing the bar adjacent one end thereof, an annular bearing surfaceformed on the interior of! the socket and normally maintaining saidprojectable element substantially flush with said exterior surface ofthe bar,

a and a circular recess in the socket adjacent and parallel to saidannular bearing surface to pro-' vide for radial movement of saidelement to fire said detonator upon relative axial movement between thebar and the socket.

13. A hollow protective grating bar, containing a detonator and meansfor firing the detonator including an element having a portionprojectable radially beyond the exterior surface of the bar, a socketembracing the bar adjacent one end thereof, an annular bearing surfaceformed on the interior of the socket and normally maintaining saidprojectable element substantially flush with said exterior surface ofthe bar, and a circular recess in-the socket adjacent and the socket,and means for pivotally supporting said socket for swinging movementabout an axis at right angles to the axis of the bar to afiord releaseof the bar from the socket.

15. A hollow protective grating bar composed of two axially alignedsections arranged with adjacent ends of said sections .in telescoping.relation to each other, a detonator having sup-port in said bar forreplacement by separating said telescoping sections of the bar, supportsfor. the opposite ends respectively of the bar, and means I carried bythe bar and controlled by one of said supports for normally firing saiddetonator upon effecting axial movement between the bar and the supportcontrolling the. detonator firing means.

16. A hollow protective grating bar composed of two axially alignedsections arranged with adjacent ends of said sections in telescopingrelation to each other, a gas generating bomb and a detonator for firingsaid bomb having support in said bar for replacement by separating saidI telescoping sections-of the bar, supports for the oppositeendsrespectively of the bar, and means carried by the bar and controlled byone of said supports for normally firing said detonator upon -effectingaxial movement between the bar and parallel to said annular bearingsurface at each the support controlling the detonator firing means.-

1'7. A hollow protective grating bar, means supporting said-bar atopposite ends respectively thereof including. a socket element embracingone end of the bar, a detonator and firing means therefor enclosedwithin said bar and including a trigger element projecting to theexterior of the bar, said trigger being held in cocked position by saidsocket for release by relative axial movement between said socket andthe portion of the bar embraced thereby, and means for forciblyeffecting said relative axial movement upon removal of any portion ofthe bar intermediate said end supports.

FRANK V. MARTIN.

